Comedy Writer/Director Jim Abrahams, Best Known for ‘Airplane!’ & ‘Naked Gun,’ Dies at 80
If you’re a fan of extremely silly comedies such as Airplane!, The Naked Gun films and Hot Shots!, then you’re a fan of the work of Jim Abrahams. The writer/director worked with brothers Jerry and David Zucker on several films after meeting when they were kids. Abrahams has reportedly died of natural causes at his home in Santa Monica. He was 80.
Abrahams was born in Wisconsin in 1944 and met the Zucker brothers in school, which brought them a lifelong friendship and the nickname ZAZ. In 1971, the trio, along with Dick Chudnow, founded the Kentucky Fried Theater in Madison, proving their worth as comedy powerhouses. It led to the film The Kentucky Fried Movie, featuring silly sketches and film parodies.
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Abrahams joked about the start of their career, “I remember making The Kentucky Fried Movie and thinking, ‘Someday I’m going to get married. Someday I’m going to have kids. And someday I’m going to have to explain this to them.'”
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The film led to others, including the popular Airplane!, Top Secret!, Hot Shots! and the Naked Gun franchise. He went on to create more films with ZAZ as well as several on his own, including Big Business. They also brought silliness to television with the show Police Squad! (They sure liked their exclamation points, didn’t they?)
In his personal life, his family founded the nonprofit organization Charlie Foundation for Ketogenic Therapies, which helps fight epilepsy, other neurological disorders and even select cancers, after curing his son’s seizures with a ketogenic diet of high-fat foods. He is survived by his wife, Nancy, three children and three grandchildren.
Classic Comedy Duos
March 2021
Chuckle at television & films funniest comic duos.
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